"I immediately noticed the faint trail of your beautiful red hair..."

'Beautiful.' His words are trapped within my deepest thoughts and I just can't get him off my mind. Kushina squirmed in her seat, nibbling on her lower lip and playing nervously with the scarlet locks that fell over her shoulders.

"...Kushina?"

How am I going to face him today? Or any other days from here on? Argh...I'm so flustered right now, I-

"Kushina!"

Kushina felt a hand on her shoulder and found it to be Mikoto's. "Mikoto..." she breathed uneasily. "I-I'm sorry. Did you...err...say something?"

Mikoto gave the redhead a soft smile and replied, "I've been calling you for the past five minutes but you kept ignoring me. You seem distracted. Is something the matter?" Her onyx eyes conveyed worry.

"No, not at all," Kushina assured the raven-haired girl. "I was just...daydreaming, I guess." If only it were that simple.

"Oh! Namikaze!"

Kushina noticed the quick turns of every student's head, but hers, towards the suave boy with golden hair standing by the doorway. She purposely kept her back to him, grinding her teeth in frustration. Shit! He's here already! In a stiff manner, she slowly stole a glimpse of him. That cool expression of his...I can't stand it! Ugh.

The boy, who went by the name of Namikaze Minato, raised a hand and calmly greeted, "Good morning, everyone."

Mikoto poked Kushina on the arm. "Ne, Kushina," she whispered. "Didn't Minato-kun rescue you from some Komugakure people last night? The news is all over the village!" Which makes me wonder why no one has really approached her yet.

"..." That's right. Minato DID rescue me. Kushina heaved a sigh. I owe him my life. The memory of his gentle smile returned to her, enticing a small grin from her own lips. "He definitely...looked like a splendid ninja," she muttered to herself.

"Here he comes!" Mikoto nudged her friend a little too hard. "Say something to him!"

Kushina fell forward from the nudge, stopping short just in front of the idolized Minato. She looked up at him, her amethyst eyes meeting his humble, cerulean ones. "A-ah..." Her face reddened. I...I'm literally at a loss for words here...

Minato gave her a curious look and blinked. "Kushina-san," he acknowledged.

"...Minato..." Kushina responded.

The class gasped in shock. "What the?" one of the girls said bitterly. "That infamous redhead actually referred to Minato-kun with only his first name. How bold!" The other students began to murmur in disgusted agreement at such disrespect. "She is so ungrateful. Even after saving her..."

Kushina realized her mistake and brought a hand to her mouth. "I-I..." she stuttered.

Much to everyone's surprise, Minato let out a small chuckle. "My first name, huh?"

He's...laughing? Kushina could feel all of her fear and insecurity slowly leave her body.

"It's fine," Minato affirmed. "You can call me by my first name, Kushina-san. I don't mind." He bowed politely and ventured to his seat just in front of her. As he sat down, his jacket rose and a small gust of air escaped from the collar. The air traveled to the seat behind him.

Kushina caught a wiff of the blonde's scent. He smelled like the ocean with fields of fresh, green grass surrounding it. It was masculine, yet gentle. The young kunoichi could not help but blush at such thoughts. What a strange person he is. But... She leaned her head against her palm, eyeing the back of Minato's head. For some reason, I feel myself becoming attracted to him more and more.

Mikoto noticed the distant look in Kushina's eyes and followed the girl's gaze to the nonchalant Minato. Ah, this could become very interesting. She stifled a playful giggle.

"Um...Minato...KUN," Kushina squeaked.

Minato tore his eyes from the scroll he was reading and returned her greeting with, "Kushina-san." He closed the scroll. "You know, I did tell you it was fine to call me solely by my first name. Hearing your strained voice in adding a title...it's somewhat upsetting."

Kushina scratched the back of her head, laughing nervously. "So-sorry," she choked. "It's just- ANYWAY, it's a free period right now a-and Mikoto told me she had some other business she had to tend to so..."

"Why?"

"So I was- Wait, what?"

"Why are you suddenly talking to me like this?" Minato asked lucidly.

Kushina shot him a small glare. "Well, can't I?" she huffed. "After all, we ARE classmates. I have that right." For a brief moment, she thought she saw a hint of disappointment in Minato's usually tranquil expression.

"Kushina-san," Minato sighed. "I do not want you to feel obligated to talk to me just because I 'saved' you from those people last night. So please...do not change your routines for my sake. Obligated relationships...I can't stand them."

"...eh?" Kushina stood frozen, her eyes wide and her smile gone. Obligated? To feel obligated...no. It can't be. "It's not like that!" she blurted vehemently. "Sure I'm grateful and, no doubt, I definitely feel like owing you big time but...but my intentions aren't like what you think!" She looked down at the ground sadly. "I just want to be your friend."

Minato was slightly taken back at this but questioned, "How come?" His hands left the scroll.

'How come'? That's a strange question. "...I don't really know," she admitted apologetically. Does a person need a reason to make a friend?

Minato's eyes shimmered as his brows furrowed in a grimace. "How cruel," he mumbled. "Letting my hopes up like that and then suddenly crushing it with four measly words." I guess I was wishing for too much after all. How selfish of me.

"Huh?"

"...n-nothing, never mind. Anyway, I'm sorry but I, too, have some affairs to attend to at this time. Please, excuse me." Minato rose from his seat, bowed to Kushina, and left the classroom without another word.

Kushina sat herself in Minato's empty seat, slamming her elbows on the desk and holding her head. Her long hair touched the wooden surface and brushed against the scroll left on there. Since when have I ever felt this lonely? The kunoichi covered her ears as the bitter gossips of her classmates escalated in both number and volume.

Finally, classes are over. Perhaps now, I can finally finish reading that medical template I started on this morning. Minato packed the last of his things and headed for the door. As he stepped out of the room, he noticed a group of students clumped in a corner nearby. Hm? I wonder what's going on there? Oh well...it's none of my business so I should probably leave.

"Stay away from Minato-kun!"

Eh? Minato stopped in his tracks. "What in the world?" he muttered. Then, he saw a hint of crimson red within the crowd and knew exactly who was the victim of the torment.

Kushina pushed the students back, her eyes burning with fury. "Why should I?" she taunted. I'm not afraid of these punks!

"We saw your little 'display' earlier," the students snooted. "You had better not try anything with Minato-kun, got that? We don't want him to fall into your deceitful hands!" They shoved the poor girl around and laughed at her troubled reactions.

"W-wait a minute!" Mikoto stepped up. "Kushina didn't do anything wrong here! She just-" She soon found herself suspended in midair by her collar and staring into the malicious eyes of a taller boy.

A girl with light-brown hair swept the bangs from Mikoto's face. "Listen, kid," she lectured. "This is an adult's conversation. So stay out of this or you, too, will get caught up by this demon's affairs and suffer the same consequences. Understand?"

Kushina tried to get to her friend but was automatically pushed back by some boys. "Mikoto, stay out of this!" she pleaded. "You'll get hurt, too!"

Mikoto shot her a glare and wriggled free of the boy's grasp. "No, I don't!" she cried. "Why you always pick on Kushina...I don't understand it at all."

"It's because she's a brat, that's why," the other female shot back. "A brat who needs to be put in her place." Before she could say anything else, a gust of wind stopped her. And before her eyes stood Minato, shielding the angered Kushina.

"Whoa..." the boys gasped. "So fast!"

Minato shook his head. "Furukawa," he said. "Kushina-san's place has always been with us. If all of you failed to notice such a thing then, I must say, that's quite a shame."

Kushina shrank from behind him. When he protects me like this, I suddenly feel really helpless. My usual strength disappears but, oddly, I don't mind.

"Min-Minato-kun!" his classmates whined. "How can you defend that girl? Even if you did save her life once, this is just too much already."

A heavy silence followed. Everyone bore their eyes into Minato, desperately trying to read his thoughts. However, all he said was "Only her" and vanished along with Kushina. "Huh?" the students questioned amongst themselves. Mikoto sneaked away from the crowd and hid behind a wall, giggling. Do your best, Kushina!

Kushina found herself on top of the roof with Minato standing beside her. The sun was setting at twilight and the gentle winds blew past them. Her lengthy hair touched the boy's cheek and he simply smiled at the ticklish feeling. Kushina saw this and smiled as well. "Um..." she started. "Thank you, again, for saving me. I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble."

Minato shook his head. "Not at all," he said curtly.

This is my chance! I have to straighten things out with him right now. "You know," Kushina pressed on, her face reddening. "Back when you asked me what was my reason for becoming your friend...?"

"Hm?" Minato hummed, turning his head her way.

"Well, I still don't know the reason. But I still really DO want to befriend you! And I know it's not because I feel like I owe you. It's just...you give me these strange feelings that I've never felt for another person before."

"...strange feelings?"

"Yeah. When I'm around you, I often feel upset but at the same time really happy. I like being close to you because my happiness just seems to last for a long time." Kushina's joyous expression melted into a forlorn one. "But then...the strangest thing is...when you're NOT with me, I feel really depressed." I should be used to being lonely, right?

Minato's eyes widened at this. This girl, she...

"I feel really lonely when you're not around," Kushina continued. "There are rare occasions where you take an absence from school due to emergencies or urgent missions and those days...I find school to be a sad and boring place- as though its sun had vanished. I guess, what I'm trying to say is..." She closed her eyes and bowed her head to express respect. "...I-I...I like you, Minato, and that's why...I want to be your friend no matter what."

"...!" Minato covered his flushed face with his long bangs. "Kushina-san..."

Kushina opened her eyes. "Last night, when you called my hair 'beautiful'...that was the first time any guy ever complimented my hair. You have no idea how happy you made me at that moment. Thanks to you, I can...start to like this red hair of mine." She was baffled when Minato took her hand into his and he pulled her into a gentle embrace.

"In that case," Minato replied. "It's fine if I become your friend. Because I also like you, Kushina."

Kushina gasped. He called me by my first name!

Minato pulled away and looked deep into her eyes. "Is it also alright if...I can like you some more?" he asked timidly. He could sense the color developing on his cheeks.

This is the happiest I've ever been so far. Kushina fought back her tears and nodded. "Y-yeah," she sniffed, beaming. "In exchange, Minato, can I also start liking you a bit more than now?"

"...no."

Kushina's face lost its color for a moment. "..."

Minato flashed her a smile and said, "I want you to start liking me...a whole lot more than that." He saw her smile return and let out a relieved laugh. She had me worried for a moment there. I thought she was going to cry for sure. But I'm glad things are fine.

"The same goes for you, too!" Kushina pushed the blonde playfully, giggling. "You'd better like me a lot, Minato. You have to like me so much that your heart will ache if I should ever die or get hurt!"

"That's...a terrible thought." Minato flinched as Kushina gave him another push. The two looked at each other and laughed once more. I might not be able to tell her this right now but...my feelings for her are already to that extent. He ruffled the top of her head.

I hope he does end up feeling that way about me. Kushina took his hand from her head and gave him an amused look. Because I think I've already fallen in love with him. She smiled as Minato held her shoulders and leaned in towards her.